Funerals for miners killed in a coal mine explosion in northern Turkey have begun as officials raised the death toll to at least 41 people.
Desperate relatives had waited all night in the cold outside the state-owned Turkish Hard Coal Enterprise's (TTK) mine in the town of Amasra, in the Black Sea coastal province of Bartin, hoping for news.
There were 110 miners working several hundred meters below ground at the time of the explosion on Friday evening.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Saturday that 40 miners were confirmed dead, 11 had been hospitalised with injuries and 58 people had been rescued.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived at the scene and said the body of one missing miner had been reached, confirming 41 were dead.
Mr Erdogan was flanked by officials, miners and rescuers, as he vowed to bring an end to mining disasters.
“We don't want to see deficiencies or unnecessary risks,” Mr Erdogan said, adding that an investigation would reveal those responsible for the blast.
Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said rescue efforts were almost complete.
Earlier, he said a fire was still burning in the mine's gallery where more than a dozen miners had been trapped.
"It's not a huge fire, but to get there safely, the fire and carbon monoxide gas must be eliminated," he told journalists at the site.
The minister earlier said that preliminary assessments indicated that the explosion was likely caused by firedamp, which is a reference to flammable gases found in coal mines.
Ambulances were on stand-by at the site.
Rescue teams were dispatched to the area, including from neighbouring provinces, Turkey's disaster management agency, AFAD, said.
In Turkey’s worst mine disaster, a total of 301 people died in 2014 after an explosion caused a coal mine to collapse in the town of Soma, in western Turkey.
ABC/wires
